Will Smiths Top 50 Rules For Success

I look at the world through a lens of
comedy right so my natural reaction is
always no matter when something happens
and I can't even help it it's why is
that funny you got to take a shot you
have to live at the edge of your
capabilities you gotta live where you're
almost certain you're gonna fail I've
never seen myself as particularly
talented where I excel is I'm willing to
die in the process of acquiring skill
need motivation watch a table ten with
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grandma snack and chew in today's
lessons from a man who went from being a
great student but refused to apply to
college because he wanted to rap to
becoming one of Hollywood's biggest
stars
he's Will Smith and here's my take on
his top fifty rules for success also if
you want to know what Will Smith and
other successful entrepreneurs have to
say about building unstoppable
confidence check out my 250 for
confidence series where every day for
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I was excited about taking a shot the
fact that it was so strange you know as
an artist it was it was a fun to get out
on that on that limb and hoping it
doesn't break under your feet
okay let's pick it up with rule number
one don't listen to the little man
we'll never let somebody tell you you
can't do something
not even me
all right
you got a dream
you got to protect it
people can't do something themselves
they want to tell you you can do it

you want something go get it period rule
number two where you are isn't where
you're going to be he didn't grow up
with the sense that where we were was
where we were going to be you know we
grew up with the sense that where we
were almost didn't matter because we
were becoming we were becoming right
something greater rule number three make
a choice there's a concept that I don't
want to be an icon I want to be an idea
you know I want to represent an idea i
want to represent possibilities I want
to represent magic right that you're in
a universe in two plus two equals four
two plus two only equals four if you
accept that two plus two equals four two
plus two is gonna be what I want it to
be you know and there's that there's a
like there's that there's a redemptive
power that making a choice has you know
rather than feeling like you're at a
fete to all the things that are
happening make a choice like you just
decide what its gonna be who you're
gonna be how you're going to do it just
decide and then from that point the
universe is gonna get out your way this
lets water it wants to it wants to move
and go around stuff you know so for me I
want to represent possibilities I want
to represent the idea that you really
can make what you want one of my
favorite books is the The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho and that's just I just
believe that I believe that I can create
whatever I want to create if I can put
put my head on it right study it learn
the patterns and you know I just I it's
hard to put into where it's real
metaphysical esoteric nonsense but I
feel very
wrongly that we are who we choose to be
rule number four have purpose difference
between depression and joy right and I
think its purpose right it's like when
you wake up in the morning and your life
means something to somebody other than
you that you have a purpose if you don't
go do the things that you're gonna do
people's lives will suffer and I think
that that kind of purpose that like to
live in service not to you but to live
in service to humanity to live in
service to your family to live in
service to your church to your city to
your country to the world living in
service is that I feel like that is the
purest form of joy rule number five be
great greatness is not this wonderful
esoteric illusive godlike feature that
only the special among us will ever
taste you know it's something that truly
exists in all of us it's very simple
this is what I believe and I'm willing
to die for it you know period it's that
simple
I Know Who I am I don't know what I
believe I know who I am I know who what
that's all I need to know that's how I
do you know so from there you do what
you need to do yeah you know and I think
what happens is we make this situation
more complex than it has been looking
for complexities gotta be subtle and
complex to understand it can't be that
easy rule number six commit the road to
success is through commitment and
through the strength to drive through
that commitment when it gets hard and it
is gonna get hard and you're gonna want
to quit sometimes but it'll be colored
by who you are and more who you want to
be I definitely found that
wanting to be an actor stems from
wanting to be somebody and wanting to
say something to people rule number
seven do not be outworked the only thing
that that I can see and you can never
really look at yourself the only thing
that I see that is distinctly different
about me is I'm not afraid to die on a
treadmill right I will run it would not
be outworked I will not be be outworked
right period yeah you know you might
have more talent than me you might be
smarter than me you might be sexier than
me you might be all of those things you
got it on me in nine categories but if
we get on the treadmill together right
there's two things
you're getting off first yeah or I'm
gonna die it's really that simple
right so let's go back to the question
about what if people block me out it's
do is going to be two options yeah I'm
gonna get back in or I'm gonna be dead
Yeah right it's like you're not going to
outwork me it's a it's a very is such a
simple basic concept is the the guy who
was willing to hustle the most is gonna
be the guy that just gets that loose
ball you know you got though he got that
oh okay he got to oh god he's hustling
grabbed out my dad was going to be out
of bounds but he saved it back in it's
like the commodity that I see the
majority of people who aren't getting to
places they want or aren't achieving the
things that they want in this business
is strictly based on hustle it's
strictly based on being outworked it's
strictly based on missing crucial
opportunities I say all the time if you
stay ready you ain't gotta get read rule
number eight work on your skills the
separation of talent and skill is one of
the the
the greatest misunderstood concepts for
people who are trying to excel who have
dreams that want to do things talent you
have naturally skill is only developed
by hours and hours and hours of beating
on your craft there's no easy way around
it no matter how talented you are your
talent is going to fail you if you're
not skilled you know if you don't study
if you don't work really hard and
dedicate yourself to being better every
single day you'll never be able to
communicate with with people rule number
nine let fear motivate you I'm motivated
by fear fear you know
fear of what fear of fear
I hate being scared to do something I
hate that feeling of the feeling that I
had before I had a meeting with Quincy
Jones because it's really Quincy Jones
and a guy named Benny Medina who I know
and Jeff Pollan came with the idea for
the freshman bel air and I hated being
scared you know like that I didn't want
to even take the meeting there were
there were opportunities during when I
first my first year as a rapper Bill
Cosby and the people in The Cosby Show
had seen my music video and called me to
be a character even to come right and
try out for the Cosby Show and just
every time it was set up for some reason
I couldn't make it the mayor of theater
fear I hated I just hated that being
scared to do something and I think what
developed in my in my early days was the
the attitude that I started attacking
things that I was scared rule number ten
be amazing at what you do you a better
man than me
you happy now you're gonna tell will or
not I'm not gonna do your dirty work for
you fine oh I'll call him from the road
yet it wanted to do that yeah I'll do it
Daniella was that well I'm glad you hear
some business came up I got a handle so
we're gonna have to put a our trip on
hold you understand yeah yes that's cool
just for a couple weeks
mmm I understand it it it may be a
little longer yeah whatever whatever
look I'll call you next week and we'll
iron out the details okay yeah yeah it
was great seeing you son you too Lou
yeah I'm sorry will you know actually
this works out better for me you know
this slimmies the summer come to class
wearing that's nuttin you know the well
it's all right to be angry
hey why should I be mad for saying at
least he said goodbye this time I just
wish I hadn't wasted my money buying a
stupid present I'm sorry I'd you know if
there was something that I hey you know
what you ain't gonna do no nothing Uncle
Phil hey you know ain't like I'm still
five years old you know ain't like I'm
gonna be sitting up every night asking
my mom when's daddy coming home you know
who needs him he wasn't there to teach
me how to shoot my first basket but I
learned didn't uh hey I got pretty damn
good as to did not fulfill God do my
first day without him right I learned
how to drive I learn how to shave I
learn how to fight without him
I had 14 great birthdays without him do
you never even send me a damn card
I need them then and I'll need them now
we'll no you know what Uncle Phil I'm
gonna get through college without him
I'm gonna get a great job without him
I've been married me a beautiful honey
and I'm having a whole bunch of kids
I'll be a better father than he ever was
and I sure as hell don't need him for
that cuz ain't a damn thing he can ever
teach me about how to love my kids how
come you don't want me man
rule number 11 focus I realized that
when you to have the level of success
that I want to have it's difficult to
spread it out and do multiple things you
knows it's in order to to be world-class
and I've made a decision I want to be
world-class and it just it takes such a
desperate obsessive focus to to excel on
assert honor on the level that I want to
make movies you know I was a Star Wars
when I was young i sat in the movie
theater and watched Star Wars and I just
couldn't believe that that movie made me
feel like that just floored and just
stunned by the creativity and just I'm
realizing that in order to move people
in that way in order to touch people in
that way you've really got to focus with
all of your fiber and all your heart and
all your creativity rule number 12
improve yourself the concept of
improving lives runs through the center
of everything I do and then I realize
that the the way to improve lives is to
continually improve yourself right so
with that every every morning when I
when I get out of the bed you know I I
haven't fixed everything in the world
yet so there's always something to do
and in this film I read an interesting
quote the Siddhartha Gautama the Buddha
he said that good people have to get out
of the bed every day and try to empty
the ocean with a ladle right and I
thought that was you know I knew that
was profound and I paused for a second
and I said all right
what the hell is a ladle right
right so they're you know I just I
touched it on my iPad is ladle oh it's
like a big spoon a big spoon okay so try
to empty the ocean with a soup spoon you
know as the the mentality of how you you
wake up every day to try to do good in
the world so for me I'm I'm really
driven by continually trying to elevate
my elevate my mind and elevate my spirit
and care for my body and to be able to
love as many people as effectively as as
possible with this mystery of life that
I've been given rule number 13 don't
chase money
my experience has been with people
bad choice and then you'll learn how to
make money doing what you love here
that's when I changed careers
I was never changed into something
for money I was changed into something I
could write and that to me has to be the
only way to keep the passion if you have
two choices the one is playing a piano
and another way
we can make more money bullying but you
love playing the piano
you got to play the piano it's like
you'll tear yourself apart if you're not
doing
you know what it is right right now
there's something that you love more
than everything whatever it is it's
crazy has to be the thing that you
dedicate your life
rule number 14 be comfortable with
anything you have to be able to be
vulnerable in front of anybody you know
you have to be comfortable looking silly
you have to be comfortable making
mistakes and you have to break the thing
inside of you that doesn't want people
to see right because as soon as you will
allow people to see all of a sudden you
get access to things that you didn't
realize you that access to right for
example like the thing I used to do is
when I was in probably eighteen or
nineteen years old I got in touch with
those blocked the camera hates emotional
blocks like you put a camera in
somebody's face and they're
uncomfortable about the liberating
emotion it looks fake and you feel it
you immediately know it's not real right
especially look at the size of this
screen and give a shot that whole screen
could be just your eyes right so it's
like you can't hide discomfort
uncertainty so you have to be able to
get comfortable
[Music]
rule number 15 laugh at everything I got
in probably two weeks into my
preparation for the film and my father
was diagnosed with cancer so we just
started talking about love time and
death and we we it was some of the most
open and powerful conversations that we
you know we we'd ever had and they gave
him six weeks and he actually he lived
for four months so about three months
into the six weeks you know I go to see
him one day he said man this is
embarrassing and I said what daddy said
man you tell everybody you will be dead
in six weeks much later you still
hanging around laughing is the elixir
you know and that was another thing that
my father taught me he was he was joking
all the way up to the end like laughing
yeah you have to be able to laugh at
everything and for me the beautiful part
is that that's my natural color on the
spectrum I naturally go to comedy you
know and when when when I'm looking at
something I'm always trying to find why
that's funny and you know it's been
really really helpful in this experience
and and you know even just this point in
my life keep remember to laugh remember
to laugh and and spend time with people
that make you laugh like that is hugely
important rule number 16 know that you
can as a child my parents always told me
you could be whatever you want to be you
could do whatever you want to do and you
know that that office that position that
the highest office on the face of the
earth it was something I heard my
parents saying it but I didn't totally
believe it yet I went out in the world
and I carried myself and I held my head
high and I stood there and I look people
in their eyes and I talked to people as
if I was deserving of everything that
this planet has
okay
so I just I really want to say to two
children out there and to two people who
are watching Confucius said one time he
who says he can and he who says he can't
are both usually right so I want to
stand here before you and as I hold this
award I want to give love to my wife and
I want you to keep in your heart just
know that you can notice you can rule
number 17 provide value and the greatest
thing in my and my career has been the
constant commitment to putting something
in the world of value not putting
something in the world that makes me
look hot yeah you know yeah so I think
as long as you can stay focused on
delivering your art and delivering
yourself and delivering your energy and
delivering your ideas for the world to
be better
rule number 18 live life without fear if
there was one concept that I would
suggest to people to take a daily
confrontation with is fear the the the
problem with fear is that it lies right
so fear tells you hey you know if if you
say that to that girl she's gonna know
she has you you know and she'll never
really be attracted to you if she knows
how much you attracted to her don't say
that know how we get her is when she
walks by ignore her
[Music]
you know pop it on your shoulder fear
tells you dumb like that you know so you
know for me the the daily confrontation
with with fear has become a real
practice for me since about three three
years ago
I went I went skydiving in Dubai right
and skydiving skydiving is a really
interesting confront with fear right so
so I got I got a stand-up so so all your
friends what happens you go how you oh
sorry
all right drop my thing so what happens
is you go out the night before and you
you know you take a drink with your
friends and somebody says yeah we should
go skydiving tomorrow and you go yeah
we'll go skydiving Yeah Yeah right
and you go home but you by yourself you
like aim right you're like well yeah I
mean they was drunk too right so so
maybe maybe they not maybe maybe I mean
we don't have to go we don't have to do
it so then that night you're laying in
your bed and you just get and you're
terrified you keep imagining over and
over again jumping out of an airplane
and you can't figure out why you would
do that right and you're laying there
and you have the worst night's sleep of
your life but you still have the hope
that your friends were drunk
right so you wake up the next day and
you go you know down and you say where
you were going to meet and everybody's
there you're like oh all right all right
cool cool cool cool cool cool right so
you get in a van and you don't know that
your friends had the same night that you
had cuz there pretended like they didn't
it like yeah man my uncle is a Navy SEAL
and you know this is gonna be great I've
been looking forward to this you like oh
my god oh my god and your stomach is
terrible you can't eat and everything
but you don't want to be the only punk
who doesn't jump out of this airplane so
you get there and then you have this
safety brief and you're standing there
and the guys that tell you what the
chute doesn't open what's going to
happen is you
you might've helped with what could
happen good to shoot the shoot wouldn't
open right so you do a thing and what
you do is your first jump you're
attached to a guy who is going you know
he's gonna walk you out so you go and
you get there and there's an airplane
and nobody stopping everybody's still
going so you get onto their airplane and
you're sitting there and and you know
it's extra because you're sitting on
some dudes lap some stranger you sit on
his lap and it's not you know you got
trying to make small talk yeah man so
you deal you'd be you be jumping with
people all the time right so and then
you just want to make sure you got you
got kids right you got people you need
to see right just want to make sure he's
serious right so you get in there so
everything's normal so you fly and you
go up you go up you go up you go up to
14,000 feet and you notice there's a
light it's red and it's yellow and green
right so right now the lights red so
then you start thinking at some point
the lights going to go green it but you
don't know what's going to happen right
and you wait and it goes yellow and the
light goes green and somebody opens the
door and in that moment you realize
you've never been in a freaking airplane
with the door open right terror no sorry
I'm spit
sorry go terror terror terror terror
right so you go and then you know if
you're if you were smart you sat in the
back so you don't go first right and
then people start going out of the
airplane and you go and the guy walks
you up to the end of the thing and
you're standing and your toes are on the
edge and you're looking out down to
death and they say on three and they say
one two and he pushes you on - because
people grab one three and you go and you
fall out of the airplane and in one
second you realize that it's the most
blissful experience of your life you're
flying right it doesn't feel like
falling right it's like that you
actually are kind of held a little bit
about a win and then you start and you
you start falling you falling and you
there's zero fear you realize at the
point of maximum danger is the point of
minimum fear it's bliss it's bliss and
you're flying right you're doing it and
then 20 seconds 25 seconds 40 seconds
and you have enough time to just kind of
like ah that's that building I sound
like that
right you start doing all of that and
the the lesson for me was why were you
scared in your bed the night before why
did you what do you need that fear for
just don't go why are you scared in your
bed
16 hours before you jump why are you
scared in the car why could you not
enjoy breakfast what would what did you
need that fear is fear of what you're
nowhere - even near the airplane
everything's up to the stepping out
there's actually no reason to be scared
it only just ruins your day your you
don't have to jump and then in that
moment all of a sudden where you should
be terrified is the most blissful
experience of your life and God placed
the best things in life on the other
side of terror on the other side of your
maximum fear or all of the best things
in life rule number 19 express positive
energy and work with the right attitude
with the positive and actually have a
t-shirt made this positive energy is a
part of your job description right so
the the idea that I want to show up with
the right energy
you know we're out here you know even
now we're out here we're trying to feed
our families where we're trying to have
a good time we're trying out there this
is an important part of our lives our
time is all that we have so to me it's
really important to deliver positive
energy in a way because it's so someone
else the positive energy they come to
your families and you know so for me
it's just hugely important to approach
everything and everybody at every turn
with the most positive loving kindness
generate rule number 20 have fun Mucha
gente en los comisarios say Bob and Amy
porque no conocía las palabras de la
Bamba just my first day of shooting on
the movie it's called Gemini man we
shooting in Georgia
I love Georgia but y'all gotta do
somethin bout the bugs Georgia is so
gorgeous
no it's really is it's beautiful but go
rock this to be out here alright so I'm
just saying y'all need to fix it cuz I
put off I sprayed off on the bugs is on
that like it's honey I make I make my
living with my face so somebody do
something about it quick can't believe
it I can't believe this I'm rattled life
in pieces like Seattle nights of
sleepless and grieving speech
[Music]
rule number 21 focus on the people you
know I've always been really product
oriented you know it's like I want to
win when I do something I want to win I
want it to be number one and I want to
smash it and I had a period I have a
daughter and I was over a 15 year old
daughter and she really she got me and
shifted my focus from product to people
it took a couple of years but as soon as
I gotten knocked off of product and
started shifting to people the whole
world opened up for me again and acting
opened up in a whole new way to not go
into day one of a movie trying to figure
out what everybody has to do so we win
versus opening up and every person's a
new it's a whole new world meaning the
character you play all the people you
work with both absolutely you know
generally when I went into a product
when I went into a meeting with a
director my focus was can this guy win
can this girl win and that it was it was
a you know who's a pathology that got
broken for me a couple of years ago and
then releasing that and just wanting to
connect with people and wanting to grow
and wanted to get new ideas and have new
experiences that don't have to have an
outcome it just opened up a whole new
world for me and I fell in love and then
I couldn't imagine what else I could do
in acting that could add so much to my
life other than acting rule number 22
take a shot
police officer hey don't get me stabbed
why boys always gotta be the bad guys
well when you were on Conan you were
asked to give your best description of
Brighton you said think of it is the
energy of training day Meets Lord of the
Rings yes which is a little bit baffling
but surprisingly accurate confident that
you could pull off this odd cocktail no
I wasn't confident at all but that's
what was exciting to me it's is so
wonderfully weird I was excited about
taking a shot the fact that it was so
strange you know as an artist it was it
was a fun to get out on that on that
limb and hoping it doesn't break under
your feet rule number 23 always be
joyous I look at the world through a
lens of comedy right so my natural
reaction is always no matter when
something happens and I can't even help
it it's why is that funny you know so
even at a funeral I can't help but think
why that's funny you know so it's it's
extremely helpful for me just
psychologically that no matter what's
going on I can't keep my mind from
finding jokes you know so it's a it's a
beautiful way to stay joyous and
positive rule number 24 be motivated by
fear you get nervous or afraid I live in
complete terror you know everything for
me about this business and a you know
about what I've been trying to build and
what I've been trying to do with my life
keeps me in terror
I am deeply motivated by fear I'm
surprised you say you you live in fear
how do you deal with that do you turn
somebody for advice do you meditate well
how do you get over that you know I'm
trying to to develop a more realistic
perspective of what this business is
yeah I told my mother this the
the other day and she thought it was
hilarious I said when I was 15 years old
my first girlfriend cheated on me oh and
I remember making a decision that nobody
would ever cheat on me again and the way
I was going to do that is by being the
biggest actor on earth huh right so is
there's there's been this weird
psychology that I've always felt like if
my movies are number one my life is
gonna work out great huh you know and I
always look forward I've always been the
type of person who thought of I thought
of myself as resilient you know that I
could always make my way back being
stuck in the past is it makes it
extremely difficult to find your way out
and future thinking for me has always
been the way to get over difficult times
to be able to look over the darkness to
a potential time of light very rarely do
I look backwards I'm always looking
forward
rule number 26 be yourself so both your
kids are in showbiz - is that worrying
for you okay no you know it's you know
to me showbiz is not separated from the
rules of the universe right so whether
you're in show business or you know
you're selling cars or you're farming
you know you're not you're not separate
from the laws of the universe and all of
the rules are the same everywhere so for
you know for from my children the most
important thing is that they be
encouraged to fully and thoroughly be
themselves no matter what and when you
when you have yourself and you're
thorough and confident in who you are
you can survive anywhere rule number 20
experiment right goes out to 190
countries hundreds of millions of people
see it but it's not in theaters so for
two artists what is a unique
satisfaction of this you know so for me
it's really experimental what I learned
when Independence Day came out so I was
I had been doing The Fresh Prince and
that Friday before Independence Day came
out everybody will will will that Monday
was the first time that anybody ever
called me mr. Smith right so there's
something about that big screen that
NASA blockbuster that does something
inside of people emotionally so I'm
curious as to see because Netflix is
doing all of the other stuff you know
it's exactly the same production process
the promotion everything is exactly the
same you would do for a gigantic
blockbuster and the question is will the
emotional resonance the sort of
nostalgic residue a year two years three
years from now still be there with
people not experiencing it in the
overwhelming fashion of the cinema so
you're just this is an experiment and we
see how it works let's see how it goes
yeah but it's definitely the future
rule number 28 have a strong y-you know
I got the call from Ridley and he said
he said I've got a gift for you and he
sent me a concussion and you know I read
it immediately and I remember thinking
that this ain't no damn gift I was like
I'm a football dad yeah for me it was a
beautiful screenplay but it opened up a
huge conflict for me did you know about
about what had happened before did you
know the story a little bit
vaguely okay really vaguely I I knew you
know my son play football for for four
years and during that time I had never
heard about the the concussion issue
okay at all I don't loca so you know it
was part of what really inspired me and
made me wanna to to do the the film
forced me to to have to do the film is
because as a parent I had no idea I had
no idea that there was a an issue with
and repetitive head trauma right in in
football man so it was a it was a quite
a revelation
rule number 29 put positive energy into
the world for me a personal
confrontation with death made me see the
value of time and the fact that the only
elixir is love you know so the the time
that you spend has got to be in
preparing yourself and giving and
receiving the most about a love you can
you know my mission is to improve lives
so I want to do things that put
positivity and positive energy and love
into the world
rule number 30 have fun so I'm gonna put
on this orc mask because I can't walk
the floor comic-con as me and out in the
middle with everybody I think I'm with
people all right so now I feel sorry for
Joel
all these things when we go out of
public Apple killed somebody
so let's go and I never get to do this
this is gonna be Graeme to get to walk
around
[Music]
it's hard to see and is hard to breathe
but I'm a soldier so I don't need
neither water than thing I bought for
Omar
[Music]
rule number 31 find your purpose finding
your purpose like that's a that's a
that's a big one just keep trying stuff
just keep trying you got a key keep
going and in terms of finding purpose
that was helpful for me to realize that
just because everybody in Philly
believed you know one thing in one set
of ideas and everybody in Philly was in
a certain paradigm as soon as I got out
of the city and out of the country I
realized there were people that didn't
give a damn about stuff that was the
most important thing in the world
try experiment me travel that was a big
part for me and that's a lot of what
you're gonna sing on my youtube channel
to like travel is huge
rule number 32 maintain infectious
energy what you just told my piece we
just bought you not just I it's hugely
important to me to maintain a certain
energy it's a it's it's healing it's
loving it's kind and I've learned really
young that my energy was infectious
right so when you know I come into the
studio when I long after I leave the
energy that I bring is still gonna be
here and then people are gonna take it
home and they're gonna affect their
families with it so you know for me it's
hugely important to maintain just a
positive loving energy just release your
wife's grateful yeah yeah I'm really
happy it's funny at work TG I work with
Gene Hackman and we had a thing every
morning cuz Gene Hackman wasn't a
morning person and she said this is what
I do anymore
you know so every morning I would say I
would say day good morning mr. hack
Manny oh yeah I don't say he'd say how
you doing will I say hey man I'm just
happy to be here he would say no you're
lucky to be here every morning but it
became my way of like just you know
getting it getting it up and getting it
going it's just I love it
rule number 33 fail forward love this
one fail early fail often fail forward
you know it's always a little bit
frustrating to me when people have a
negative relationship with failure
failure is a massive part of being able
to be successful you have to get
comfortable with failure yet you have to
actually seek failure failure is where
all of the lessons are you know when you
go to the gym and you work out you're
actually seeking failure you want to
take your muscles to the point where you
get to failure because that's where the
the adaptation is that's where growth is
successful people who fail a lot they
fail a whole lot more than they succeed
but they extract the lessons from the
failure and they use that the the energy
and they use the wisdom to come around
to the next phase of success you got to
take a shot you have to live at the edge
of your capabilities you got to live
where you're almost certain you're gonna
fail that's the reason for a practice
practice is controlled failure you're
getting to your limit getting to your
limit getting to your limit you can't
lift that you can't do that you until
you get to the point that all of a
sudden your body makes the adjustment
and then you can do it failure actually
helps you to recognize the areas where
you need to evolve so fail early fail
often fail forward
rule number 34 dedicate your life to
your dream think was 94 something like
that they were open to Planet Hollywood
I found myself in a room with Arnold
Schwarzenegger Bruce Willis and sly and
I was like oh my god I got these three
guys in the room
and I was like okay I want to be the
biggest movie star in the world and I
need you guys to tell me how to do it
and Arnold Schwarzenegger he said he
said if your movie is only big in
America it doesn't matter you'll be a
movie star only when you're a movie star
in every country in the world you have
to travel you have to go you have to
meet the people thanks for the tip facts
son facts that became the way that I
started looking at movies I wanted to be
in every country in the world in that
part of my career I refused to do
anything that wasn't in the best
interest of the goal I set for myself
and there's probably a 12 year period of
my life where I did take a train I have
a drink where I didn't go out in the
weekends that I was so set on my goal it
created a serious circle of protection
and an elevation because I refuse to do
anything that wasn't in my best interest
it's hugely important that if you have a
dream that you have to dedicate your
life to it and that every hour of every
day has to be dedicated to bring it into
fruition the things that you dream about
rule number 35 seek those who fan your
flames I just saw this Rumi quote that I
love set your life on fire and seek
those who fan your flames the Phillie
translation of that is don't be hanging
with no Jang casts Joker's that don't
help you shine the prerequisite for
spending time with any person is that
they nourish and inspire you
they feed your flame look at your last
five text messages are those people
feeding your flames or dousing your fire
put your phone down for just a second
and look around look to the people
around you are those people throwing
logs on your fire or they pissin on it
the people that you spend time with are
gonna make or break your dreams
everybody don't deserve to be around you
you got to defend your light with
your life so who are the people in your
life that are fanning your flames shout
them out tag on below
rule number 36 do everything you
originally started off as a rapper so I
was wondering you know it's been sown
over ten years since your last album
experimenting in the studio yeah I can
explore in like new sounds like the new
wave of hip hop are you releasing like
planning on releasing any new music so
yes I just I just have been probably 30
days on on Instagram and so you can
follow me at and I just launched a
YouTube channel and they didn't realize
how great social media was for the short
form content so I have all of these
ideas I have all of these songs I have
all of these skits I have all of these
things that I didn't think I'd ever get
around to putting out that I'll be doing
on my social media so I'll definitely be
putting out records I'll definitely be
doing skits and I'll definitely be
creating content that has been bubbling
in me for years yeah
rule number 37 decide to inspire people
I went to Catholic school up to eighth
grade with all white kids and probably
two or three black kids but if you know
predominantly white school and then I
went to my neighborhood High School in
ninth grade that was 99% black kids so
the first day that I walk in to ninth
grade I walked into the lunchroom and
you know it's like 500 kids and four to
this day I don't know why I did this I'm
sure it was because I was I was nervous
and you know I got that I have a thing
with fear I don't like being scared so
I'm sure I was I walked in I looked
around and I said excuse me can I have
your attention can I have your attention
please
he's here he's here right now thank you
thank you
people who's got to looking and there
was just one dude and he was sitting
there and he looked up to me he said man
don't nobody get that you here right and
I said hey just give me 10 minutes your
girl going care right and he was like
and you gotta watch that not that not is
not a good night he was like
and I was like okay so I went some
walking up the steps we're out of the
lunchroom and I had forgot about it
so we're gone and I'm walking up the
steps and he had taken one of those
combination locks and he put the lock in
the palm of his hand and put his put the
the loop around his knuckle and he was
holding the lock in his hand and as I
was walking up the steps he cracked me
in the side of my head with the lot and
I went down I was out I don't remember
nothing I still got the lump on my head
you can't see it because I got my hair
but I stood like there's still a lump so
I remember I fell down and I hit my
mouth on the steps all of that stuff you
know so I went up so I'm in the
principal's office all attacked the
police comes and I got the ice on my
lips and I'm sitting in the principal's
office and my father comes in he sees me
and you know I'm telling the story now
the police are there and I remember I
saw this kid they put him in handcuffs
and took him out of the school and I'm
looking sitting in the principal's
office and I'm watching the police take
him out and put him in the back of a
police car and I just couldn't believe
it had escalated to a kid being removed
from from school and I was laying in my
bed that night and I was just feeling
like Shh and I had the recognition that
I had caused this kid to throw his life
away
right and he was kicked out of school
and I never knew what happened to him
but I have a sense that it didn't go
well
beyond there and I felt a deep sense of
regret and a deep sense that I had
caused an emotion in a person that made
them do that and that that feeling of
regret turned into a sort of a fear of
how much power I had and I was like
everything I say and do has that kind of
effect on other human beings and in that
moment I decided that I would never walk
into a room and do anything other than
inspire and uplift and enlighten people
and help people to be the greater
versions of themselves and I would never
do anything that would cause people to
or to rile up the darkest dirtiest parts
of people I only wanted to enliven and
enlighten and inspire and I remember
laying in my bed that night and I made
that promise to myself and I made that
promise to God and it's something that
has completely shaped how I approach
people how I approach moments how I walk
into rooms how I deal with every human
being on this earth
rule number 38 developed self-discipline
I do scream to me the other night a will
I wanna be active man I will be active
just like you you know usually people
say stuff to me like that I'm like yeah
man you know you do is give them an
encouraging word but I was just sitting
here thinking and it dawned on me 99% of
people that say stuff like that are not
willing to do what it takes to make
their dreams come true the Marines have
a saying everybody wants to go to heaven
but nobody wants to die and that's just
real at the center of bringing
dream into fruition is self-discipline
you know something something as simple
as food and eating it is not about your
body as much as it is about your mind
it's getting command of your mind to be
able to choose actions that are in your
own best interest every day we are
choosing that's not in our own best
interest right so if the world is
attacking you and the world wants to
fight you in the world's trying to hold
you down so you're gonna kick yourself
in the balls so you will stop yourself
from getting what you dream
self-discipline is the center of all
material success you cannot win the war
against the world if you can't win the
war against your own mind
rule number 39 take responsibility I was
just having a debate with a friend of
mine and we got stuck when the
difference between fault and
responsibility she kept talking about
how something was somebody's fault
somebody's fault and I was like it
really don't matter whose fault it is
that something is broken if it's your
responsibility to fix it for example is
it's not somebody's fault if their
father was an abusive alcoholic but it's
for damn sure their responsibility to
figure out how they're gonna do with
those traumas and try to make a life out
of it it's not your fault if your
partner cheated and ruined your marriage
but it is for damn sure your
responsibility to figure out how to take
that pain and how to overcome that and
build a happy life for yourself fault
and responsibility do not go together it
sucks but they don't when something is
somebody's fault we want them to suffer
we want them punished we want them to
pay and we want it to be their
responsibility to fix it but that's
that's not how it works especially when
it's your heart your heart your life
your happiness is your responsibility
and your responsibility alone as long as
we're point
finger and and stuck in whose fault
something is we're jammed and trapped
into victim mode when you're in victim
mode you're stuck in suffering the road
to power is in taking responsibility
your heart your life your happiness is
your responsibility and your
responsibility alone
rule number 40 have fun what's gonna
happen which is gonna ask us each to
name three things three types of like
cars or something and we'll have five
seconds to name three things and then
hit that to see how much time is left on
the clock okay all right if you do it
you get a point if time runs out you get
no points at all five seconds goes very
very fast okay I shall go first you
shall go first okay okay
Ellen name three things you do in a car
you drive you park and you say hello to
people
I see I see now we need some like judges
are you job you say hi you wait you wait
will ya name three things you should
never do in a car
never drink smoke three words you use a
lot love baby and be kind I'm gonna give
you that one cuz that's the right answer
okay we'll name your three favorite
songs to sing in the shower in the
shower the dream girls I'm telling you
Whitney Houston's died yeah but that's a
it's like the end I am Telling You
[Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause]
rule number 41 maintain positivity
he was always challenged for that right
like all yourself you're different but
the positivity was always challenged
like yeah I always wanted you to justify
being positive right absolutely
yeah now that was a that was a difficult
time coming up cuz it's like I'm from
I'm from Philly right so during that
time in Philly it was Joe Frazier and
rocky so a fistfight was common yeah
Chuck D used to he called it pug City
he's like pug City is like he's like
chuckles like you can't go to Philly
without getting in a fight so it's like
I grew up in that so for me too it was
always difficult for people you know to
say I was soft and I was you know my
music was cotton candy you know that's
all I always wanted to fight to try to
to prove myself but the be fighting
yourself to maintain positivity as the
hardest fight you ever gonna have right
and it's like that struggle to just stay
my course to you know be the person in
the world that I wanted to be no matter
what people said and it was a I started
to call it offensive positivity right
like you know I wasn't gonna be on
defense with my positivity I was gonna
be on offense with it rule number 42
seize your opportunities me and Jeff had
come out with smash hit parents just
don't understand we made a bunch of
money we want a Grammy album with triple
platinum
I have motorcycles and cars I called the
booty store in Atlanta and I was like
and I'm smiling but that's stupid we
released our next album and it was like
a flop it was a tragedy it went like
double plastic I had spent of most of my
money like all of I spent all my money
and I didn't forget but I didn't pay the
IRS in my mind I mean I wasn't like
trying to avoid paying taxes I was just
like oh damn they need a money the IRS
took off with all that stuff so I was
like broke broke broke being famous and
broke is a combination because
you're still famous and people recognize
you but they recognize you while you
sitting next to them on the bus and the
stuff they ask you to sign on a bus you
know like oh can you sign my baby
that's a sharpie but I probably
shouldn't write on the baby with that
are you too big to sign my baby
well no I mean you know so I signed it
so I was like playing around and my
girlfriend was like dude we're not doing
this like you're not just gonna be
laying around this house all day you
gonna go do something I was like what
what I'm supposed to do go where people
is is doing it where people doing it go
to the Arsenio Hall Show just go stand
around at the Arsenio Hall Show
yes that's stupid
so I went to the Arsenio Hall Show and I
met a dude named Benny Medina Benny
Medina is the real-life Fresh Prince of
bel-air except he actually went from
watts to Beverly Hills same basic
concept way shorter distance now meet
Benny and he pitches me the idea for
this show and I'm like you know I'm not
an actor am i cool and he said hey you
know I want you to meet Quincy Jones
when see Jones's producer with me stop
by myself like Quincy's and his actors
and artists and celebrities and
politicians like everybody that Twenties
up it's like The Wiz without the
costumes so Bennie walks me in and
introduced me to Quincy Lehane q what's
up and say hey man you know I saw your
music videos I love I love what you're
doing I love what you're doing tell me
rap name again they call me the Fresh
Prince
all right good that's what we gonna call
the show and he handed me a screenplay
for a failed Morris day pilot like I
don't have the time so I need you to do
this I need you go ahead take a few
minutes take 10 minutes study the script
and I'm gonna clear all the stuff out
the living room and we don't have
everybody sit down in the living room we
don't do an audition
he had movers that could reset his
furniture I was like this dude is real
so close how does it break come on come
on come on I was thank you hold up man
hold up I'm not ready to do no audition
and he said oh all right well what you
need tell me what you need just set the
meeting for a week and I can do it he
said yeah yeah you know Brandon
Tartikoff the head of NBC is out there
I'll get on the schedule for next week
and then you know what's gonna happen
something gonna come up and then he's
wanting to reschedule
oh yeah yeah so three so three weeks
from now here we can do it three weeks
from now so yeah yeah yeah three weeks
from now be good or you could take ten
minutes right now and you can change
your life forever I was like get there
yes give me ten minutes I said yes and I
let it rip and I got to the end and
everybody's clapping Quincy
at Brandon Tartikoff the head of NBC did
you like it and Brandon said yeah yeah I
like the question says no did you like
it you say yeah I like these a good
you're his lawyer Romney up something
right now
rule number 43 work on your body I used
to be able to eat whatever I want and
then in six weeks I could get in any
shape I wanted to get into but that's
not the case anymore where we're around
the twelve or fourteen week mandatory
training to do anything but but I love
it I enjoy I enjoy the discipline of it
for me working on on your body is the
beginning of everything you know your
mind starts to work better you're the
better husband a better father a better
friend and life is just better when you
you know care for your body at the
highest level
rule number 44 be obsessed I told the
famous everybody you kind of backed into
acting Fresh Prince of bel-air yeah and
the next thing you know you start making
these movies and I forget that bad boys
actually came before Independence Day
right yeah yeah tennis day just was like
one of the biggest of all time like what
was that transition like for you so yeah
you know actor and like the biggest
actor in the game no it was um that was
like the first real goal like that in
terms of setting goals I was like I want
to be the biggest movie star in the
world right and every up until that
point everything was like it was fun and
it was happening and we were creating in
Jeff's mom's basement and it was
successful but that was like when I
moved into acting that was the first
time I started applying skill to my my
talents right and you know I always look
I look at skill and talent separately
like Pete you're born with talent you
know it's like there's certain things
that you just do naturally you were
gifted with a talent and you have it but
skill is acquired through discipline and
you know I've never seen myself as
particularly talented where I excel
I'm willing to die in the process of
acquiring skill like is you know when I
put my obsessive mind or sign the dread
exactly it's not working yes is a
ridiculous and sickening work a
sickening work ethic exactly it's like
you know so for me to be a movie star
was the first thing that I ever really
wanted like that and set my own he was
like all of them I was like I was like
you know cuz I went out when I looked I
always felt like there weren't a lot of
people I saw do things that I felt like
I couldn't do right when I when I look
at people and I see things I don't I
don't feel like I can't whether or not I
will is something different but I don't
ever feel like I can rule number 45 have
a strong wine anytime I put something in
the world
I am always connecting to an idea I'm
always asked why am i making this what
why I'm putting this out in the world
why so with with concussion dr. Bennet
Omalu was deeply connected to tell the
truth and he said the truth doesn't have
a side and that's what he kept saying I
thought that was such a powerful if any
idea that there you know whose side are
you on you're Republican or Democrat I'm
trying to tell the truth truth the truth
doesn't have a side rule number 46 deal
with rejection rejection is everywhere
you know we all deal with the me worst
of all the worst of all you know I think
the idea of rejection is relative I mean
if you you take a you know a kid in a
small town and somebody posts something
negative about them and all that their
friends laughs you know that's the worst
rejection a human being can experience
it's not you know for that kid it's not
any less than for my kid to read
on a comment page you know it's it's
emotionally it's it's the same my kids
grew up in this world so they're much
more acclimated to the difficulties of
this world but it doesn't make it
emotionally more difficult or more
painful than for any other child who has
to deal with it rule number 47 be
authentic
you're like the Prince but now you're
the king of Instagram I know I was like
how come you've embraced social media in
this way like cuz for the longest you
know you have this mystique behind you
well in you know when I when I started
the the the only way to be a movie star
was through distance and mystery and
mystique right that was the the the way
is that you know yeah you could see me
on July 4 in the movie theater alright
so that was the way keeping that
distance was how you maintained star
power and in the last five years that
shifted much more to a friendship model
like people support artists that they
feel like they know thoroughly that
they're friends right so that the social
media the the daily interaction is much
more like a family friendship kind of
interaction that is an audience demand
for for you know their loyalty but is
there such thing as revealing too much
not in this world
too much data that's personal you know
like it's it's what can you handle you
know I think one of the major one of the
beautiful parts of social media that I
think is a beautiful evolutionary thing
is that social media demands
authenticity right so social media
pushes you more and more into having to
reveal what's true
if you don't you know TMZ is going to
you know so it's you know it's a
beautiful thing I'm and I'm actually
enjoying the push right nobody's happy
who doesn't get to be themself right so
the the the eyes and ears of the world
are starting to demand more and more
authenticity where you gotta say what's
true for you and live or die by what
that is so I'm enjoying the the social
demand for authenticity I'm coming into
a space how have you maintained your
authenticity because I mean you come
from Philly going through everything
like your journeys being crazy like how
have you maintained that um you know
it's really interesting is it's like the
idea I I haven't maintained my
authenticity per se I've maintained my
character right I've maintained my
beliefs character in two senses I've
maintained my character of Will Smith
and I've maintained my personal
character of what I believe in
so but in terms of authenticity the
character Will Smith signs every
autograph and it's always happy and
wants to see the fans and is always in a
good mood and that's actually not often
authentic right I actually I do want to
slap somebody you know every once in a
while so in terms of authenticity I have
successfully maintained positivity and
now I'm working more to maintain
authenticity I'm granting myself the
freedom to not give up when I don't give
a Yeah right and now I'm working into a
space of much more authenticity rule
number 48 face your fears something that
probably a lot of people don't know
about me I don't put the ocean the ocean
is like the ultimate woman
she's beautiful and she will nourish you
but she will tear you to shreds also the
ocean is my worst fear I don't know what
it is or where it came from but there's
something about not being able to
breathe
I've tried snorkeling before and I was
hyperventilating my 50th birthday is
this year I just wasn't gonna go into
the back 9 of my life without having
attacked my fear the ocean so we're
about to scuba dive the Great Barrier
Reef you know I've never scuba divin
scoubidou scuba I never been scuba
divers before so we're taking a boat
ride out do we go through a storm
probably 25 years old in my mind I would
be here one day so I'm ready I'm ready
this is stupid I'm not going is it okay
to punch sharks in the face back up with
your shark ass back up with your shark
ass
shucks ass back up I got it the question
isn't can you handle the situation the
question is can you handle your mind can
you manage the thoughts and the emotions
that are trying to poison your progress
forget managing the situation
manage your mind
[Music]
training your mind to sit calmly
I of the storm rule number 49 inspire
others to succeed you know growing up my
mother and father and grandmother
demanded no less of me than to represent
the family every time I stepped out in a
way that was helpful to others the city
gave him his start he's worked hard in
the city has worked hard for him knowing
that this man is no West Philly opens
eyes for them they open their lens when
you're in Philadelphia you see a lot of
things in the youth in the neighborhoods
that not always positive and I think
seeing that will motivate you all in the
zone because you're always gonna want
something better for yourself you don't
have enough role models out here you got
too many kids being led astray thinking
the wrong things is what's good they
grow up too fast you need people that's
puttin that out there like you don't
have to do this you don't have to do
that it's so much easier being yourself
when you are young kid and you're
walking to school
and you see images like this and makes
you aspire to want to be that person
right what he's done in his life vibrate
all your overseas to touch you they
touch people ya know what but this right
here will affect people the main thing
you did you take the main detail yeah
you got wills ears right
this man who is an icon is looking at
GLA so my kids everyday will see this
image and know that you can be whatever
you want to be this is a man who grew up
and fill it up they went to Overbrook
high school up the street was a part of
this world that he now is looking at us
and telling my children you can be
whatever you want to be it's just so
powerful if you're a kid here growing up
now and you see this every day
it can give you a real understanding
that this guy is me you know he lived
here and he grew up here he had the same
chances as me the same possibilities as
me the same everything and he's being
painted on a wall because he's done
something incredible with his life and
rule number 50 the last time before a
very special bonus clip is ask awesome
questions we're about to make history
we're doing an IG live to the
International Space Station
oh yeah and see now that's the thing
look I'm doing it like that everybody
can do an interview to the International
Space Station and how shoot it in terms
of like the the simple basics right so
you on earth people have to poop you're
like it's important to poop on Earth
right so when you're up there I see your
microphone floating I need to understand
what you do with that like how do you
manage that
well are you sure you want to talk about
this this problem because it is pretty
challenging
I like to say you can have a good day in
the bathroom and you can have a really
bad day in the bathroom and you really
you hope for the good days the bad days
can be challenging on earth we talk
about the the you know the mile-high
club
as anyone you know attempt it for
research purposes has anyone attempted
you know the process of procreating the
human species in space all right well
similar to the last question I'll just
say are you sure we want to talk about
this I'm just you know I'm a Manitou
people drew I'm a man of the people and
it's important to me to ask the
questions that the people want to ask
this to I'll just say as far as I know I
have no knowledge of those tests being
done but I can imagine that that would
present some unique opportunities
I've got a really special bonus cut from
well on how to not chase awards that I
think you're gonna really enjoy but
before that it's time for the
three-point landing questions time to
move from just watching another video to
actually taking action in your life and
your business so answer these three
questions number one how will you
maintain your positivity when things get
rough number two what is your strong why
to keep going and number three what fear
do you need to face and how will you
conquer it this week
first Grammy ever given to two rappers
and we boycott it right that year so
they the the Grammys weren't televising
the rat portion and we felt like you
know we had done enough that deserved to
be in the televised and they they really
they they everybody was still scared of
rap music at the time and thought it was
a fad and all that stuff so we received
our Grammy in in absentia I've never
used that word before I like that in
absentia were you still happy that you
received that Grammy that award was like
bittersweet you know I've never really
been awards minded right so I liked it
everybody you prefer to win and lose
that for right I have no I actually
don't know you know Jeff asked me all
the time like he's like where is your
Grammy I was like dude I have no idea
wow have not and I'm just not awards
minded I'm much more that box office
locks office yeah always yeah open a
weekend open a weekend yeah I'm much
more it's like total go see total I got
like winning hit the box office I like
numbers I like sales and awards are cool
but it's like I never uh never really
never really got into the excitement of
winning and a war it's like what you
know with you know I've been nominated
for Academy Awards twice and it's like
it's it's nothing
it's like believing that feeling with
the film stuff that's never yes like I
like box office assassination raise your
standard
Apple at the core its core value is that
we believe that people have passion and
change the way people not one drop of
myself work depends on your it's
something serene if you want to learn
about Will Smith sickening work ethic
and how you can develop it yourself
check out the blog next to me I think
you're gonna enjoy it continue to
believe and I'll see you there there was
um excuse me there was a moment when I
was about nine years old.....